Crowdfunding Comes To Small Businesses

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended, a content marketing consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers.

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It’s no secret that 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years have been created by small businesses. But in this economy, how do we keep that momentum going? A strategy called “crowdfunding” might just be the answer.

Crowdfunding raised $1.2 billion globally last year and the number is expected to double in 2012. But until now, a majority of the online crowdfunding platforms have catered to artists, creative projects, and other specific niches.

Rock The Post, which has been in beta since late last year, launched fully this week and is probably the first crowdfunding site to focus exclusively on small businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations.

The site aims to create a bridge between entrepreneurs and the investors they need to see their projects come to fruition—and the process is quite simple. Users post their projects and fundraising goals on the site. They can share the post with friends and reach new people via social networking, and if investors like what they see, they can pledge money in return for rewards to help that individual reach his or her business goal.

“We are so excited to be launching our full platform, which will be the first crowdfunding site to focus exclusively on small business, entrepreneurs and non-profit campaigns," said co-founder and CEO Alejandro Cremades. "We believe Rock The Post will help many entrepreneurs looking to launch small businesses, which will collectively help the U.S. economy.”

Startups create almost two thirds of American jobs, yet new businesses fail at an alarmingly high rate, according to the Kauffman Foundation. This is where Rock The Post comes in. By opening up the investor pool to all Americans, not just wealthy investors, entrepreneurs will have greater access to the capital they need to succeed and create new jobs.

Some of the Rock The Post’s features include built-in social media tools to spread the word about projects and a feedback rating system, which lets users rate others based on how positive they found their interactions to be.

One of Rock The Post’s biggest differentiators is its tremendous customer service. There is even a phone number listed on the site that project owners can call to speak with and get counsel from a Rock The Post team member. The site is yet another promising tool to help American entrepreneurs succeed and get our national economy back on track.

Have you tried Rock The Post? What do you think? Would you use a tool like this to help grow your business?

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Crowdfunding Comes To Small Businesses

It’s no secret that 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years have been created by small businesses. But in this economy, how do we keep that momentum going? A strategy called “crowdfunding” might just be the answer.